How would i shoot photos like these?

[justin-branam]

My older brother is a glass blower in Seattle, and i am trying to get him a website up and running, to display his glass works. i would like to help him out by doing the photography for him, since he tells me it does costs a pretty penny to have a photographer do a shoot for him. I am wondering what all i would need to get photos like these below, which he had a photographer do for him in the past. i really like the reflective surface, and im not even sure what was used for that! if you could please suggest a list of equipment needed to take such photos, and maybe some techniques, i would greatly appretiate it.

[justin-branam]

i guess a lightbox of some kind may be the way to go, even something like this cheap DIY type: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/07...to-studio.html My only question, is it better to use strobes set on lower powers, or would it be better to use a constant light source. if a constant source, any type in particular (halogen, fluorescent, etc)?

[peterdoomen]

Indeed, a softbox/tabletop studio is needed to make photos like this (see my footer to learn how to make your own for a few bucks).

The second and third shot are straightforward (but very good lighting on those!). The first one is made by putting the object on an acrylic plate.

P.

[Yella Fella]

thats a good tutorial on a table top soft box, i have to try that on a rainy day once i get my table , cheers!

[breal101]

One of the neatest things about digital is the ability to use the camera on a tripod and combine exposures using layer masking. When shooting glass back in the day we would often toplight with a softbox and use a silver reflector cut to the shape of the glass object to brighten the glass. Now we can just make a seperate exposure with a silver card behind the glass and reflectors in front, the reflectors can even be close enough to be in the frame. Combine the images and get a really nice result.

[chtgrubbs]

The first photo is shot with a softbox or two over the subject which is sitting on a piece of black plexiglass. The colored background would normally be a sheet of seamless paper lit by a grid-spot and positioned so that it is reflected in the plexi, but these days it might be Photoshopped in.

The second photo is shot on a white or light gray seamless pulled several feet behind the object and swept up to get the fade-out. The highlight is done with a grid-spot background light, possibly behind the seamless to shine through. Looking at the reflections, I see an overhead softbox, a striplight on the right side, and a reflector fill on the left side

The third shot is again on black plexi. An overhead softbox provides the main light and the light reflects in the plexi. The items have been placed out on the corner of the light reflection to provide the graduation of tone in the reflection.

It's very nice work, and I would also charge a substantial fee to execute work of this quality for a client.

[breal101]

I don't really like to be negative but the first shot sucks, looks dead, the second one is passable but could stand improvement, the third one is OK but 30 years ago in style. Is plexi back?

[peterdoomen]

Originally Posted by Yella Fella

thats a good tutorial on a table top soft box, i have to try that on a rainy day once i get my table , cheers!

It's actually not difficult. I did it in under two hours, but I did not have a building plan and I had to take photos regularly to show how to do it.

Success with your tabletop studio!

P.

[cataclysmcow]

Originally Posted by breal101

I don't really like to be negative but the first shot sucks, looks dead, the second one is passable but could stand improvement, the third one is OK but 30 years ago in style. Is plexi back?

I agree, the first shot is very poor. Even after studying it I can't get a good impression of the object itself. It's closer to abstract than product imaging.

[Digital_Duck]

Originally Posted by peterdoomen

It's actually not difficult. I did it in under two hours, but I did not have a building plan and I had to take photos regularly to show how to do it.

Success with your tabletop studio!

P.

ONE QUESTION: In your tabletop studio link you said

I wondered how more experienced photographers were able to take
pictures of a single object, isolated from the background.

Have you tried a green or blue chroma-key screen, or a high quality muslin material to acquire a matte background? Being able to utilize this type of background was one of the motivators in spending $700.00 USD for PhotoShop last night.

That was a tough choice being as I REALLY want a nice "L" zoom lens

Those were a few things in the back of my mind to do as part of a table top studio ...

... of course as of yet I haven't been able to re-invent something really useful like Fresh Air ...

[Wilt]

Big softbox(es),
black cardboard masks (to shape the softbox according to the glass object being photographed),
and large white reflectors (they can be used in lieu of softboxes in helping to establish the form of the subject via reflections)

[peterdoomen]

Originally Posted by Digital_Duck

That was a tough choice being as I REALLY want a nice "L" zoom lens

I *have* a nice L zoom and a nice L prime, but when taking photos with my tabletop studio, I find myself using my Tammy 28-75.

Reason? At f/16 it's every bit as sharp as any L, but it focuses *very* closely.

Thanks for your input!

P.

[coreypolis]

in all honestly, I think you'll really struggle to get half way decent results. Product work is a lot of fine tuning, and if it doesn't look right in the picture, it won't sell.

I can give you some pointers, but alot of it is just knowing how to light products well.
In the bottom picture, the glass is on top of black glass, a highly reflective mirror surface that is very difficult to properly light, then you half to worry about lighting the items correctly. You'll be doing different exposure times for each area, and half to worry about reflections. Those white highlights are a result of huge, properly placed reflectors.

This is a similar layout to what you would need for that shot.






Where's his gallery at, I'll stop by some time and see it.